DENVER — The Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 137-132 in overtime in an NBA thriller led by Nikola Jokic, who recorded a triple-double with 35 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists to complete a remarkable comeback after trailing by 16 points in the fourth quarter.
The game began with the Portland Trail Blazers playing inspired basketball from beyond the arc, building leads through three-pointers and offensive rhythm. Toumani Camara led the visiting attack with 30 points, proving to be a key piece on a night when Portland set a franchise record with 25 three-pointers made. Alongside him, Deni Avdija contributed 26 points and a near-perfect 13 of 14 from the free throw line, propelling the Blazers to a 14-point halftime lead.
After the break, Portland continued to control the scoreboard and stretched their advantage to 96-78 by the end of the third quarter, leaving the Nuggets against the ropes. Shortly after, an offensive run allowed the visitors to reach 115-99 with 8:13 remaining in the fourth period, seemingly putting the Trail Blazers on course for victory.
However, the Denver Nuggets responded, led by Nikola Jokic. The Serbian center scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and sparked a spectacular 21-5 run that brought his team back into the game. With the score at 123-120 for Portland, Aaron Gordon tied the game with a corner three-pointer with 1:12 remaining, restoring tension to Ball Arena.
In the final stretch of regulation, Gordon hit a baseline jumper to put Denver ahead 125-123, but Avdija answered with a layup with 20 seconds left to tie the game. Jokic had the game-winner at the buzzer, but his shot didn't fall and the game went to overtime.
In the extra period, Denver struck first with three-pointers from Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, which definitively ignited the comeback. Murray, who finished with 20 points, made two free throws and capped off a fast break with a dunk before assisting Jokic for a layup that sealed the game.
The victory marks the Nuggets' ninth consecutive win, their best streak of the season, and improves their record to 51-28, placing them third in the Western Conference and a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (50-28).
For the Portland Trail Blazers, the loss snaps a three-game winning streak and leaves the team at 40-39, falling to ninth place in the West, a half-game behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the race for the NBA play-in tournament.